The Complex Arts Centre in Dublin has confirmed it will close permanently, bringing an end to nearly two decades of artistic activity in the city’s north inner city.
The multidisciplinary venue, located in the north-west inner city, had been served with a notice to quit its premises in November last year and was ultimately unable to secure a renewal of its lease. Despite months of campaigning and political intervention, efforts to retain the building have failed.
News of the threatened closure prompted a public campaign to save the centre, supported by opposition parties, artists and community groups. A petition organised by the Save the Arts campaign group on the Uplift platform called on Dublin City Council and the Arts Council to intervene to prevent The Complex from being evicted. The petition attracted thousands of signatures.
Earlier this week, Dublin City Council passed an emergency motion calling for the protection of The Complex. The motion urged the Departments of Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to make public funding available to help secure the future of the building.
@radionova100fm The Complex is way more than its 4 walls - it’s a multimedia space built of a legendary stage, 17 artist studios, a modern art gallery and a 60-seat jazz and improvisation space As The Complex closes tonight, questions remain unanswered - Will this community be able to relocate? Will the Dáil allow it to remain as is? Will the Complex end now, only to be reborn later? We’ll know more in the coming weeks #savethecomplex ♬ original sound - Radio Nova 100
However, on Thursday The Complex confirmed in a statement that it would close permanently. The statement, signed by Artistic Director and CEO Vanessa Fielding, said the decision was the result of “the failure of Government and Dublin City Council to secure a viable resolution for an arts organisation that has operated continuously in the north-west inner city for 18 years”.
Fielding said that over that period The Complex had grown into a nationally and internationally recognised centre for contemporary Irish arts, supporting hundreds of artists, freelancers, technicians, designers, producers and staff. She added that the organisation had provided long-term cultural infrastructure in an area of Dublin with limited access to the arts.
“Despite prolonged engagement and repeated assurances, no workable solution was delivered,” the statement said. “The loss of The Complex represents a failure of cultural policy, accountability and long-term planning within the public system.”
The organisation also claimed that efforts to resolve the situation were undermined by a landlord “focused exclusively on achieving vacant possession, to maximise the redevelopment value of the site”.
The closure was raised in the Dáil this week by Sinn Féin leader and local TD Mary Lou McDonald, who called on the Government to intervene to save the building.
“At midnight tonight the lease expires and as it stands, we will lose this key project to our community,” she said. “Promises of intervention have amounted to nothing. The Complex has proven itself as a valuable resource in the heart of Dublin’s inner city.”
As a result of the closure, The Complex has cancelled its entire 2026 programme, including planned commissions, live music events and exhibitions.
